Legislative Activity

The Patients Over Profit Act (POP Act) prohibits common ownership between entities that run Medicare-related health insurance plans and certain healthcare providers. This aims to prevent conflicts of interest by separating insurance and provider control within the Medicare system. Violators will be required to divest one of their holdings within a set timeframe. Enforcement actions can result in the disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, which will be directed toward community healthcare needs.

This Act expands the Smith River National Recreation Area to include new areas in Oregon, updating management rules to protect roadless areas and wilderness. It also designates numerous tributaries of the North Fork Smith River in Oregon for protection under the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Furthermore, the bill mandates a five-year study of the newly added lands to inform future management plan revisions.

The Columbia River Clean-Up Act extends the funding authorization for the Columbia River Basin Restoration Program. This legislation updates the program's authorization period from 2020-2021 to cover the years 2026 through 2030. This ensures continued federal support for vital restoration efforts in the Columbia River Basin.

This bill amends federal law to officially include Parkinson's disease in the list of illnesses presumed to be proximately caused by employment in fire protection activities. This addition aims to simplify the process for federal firefighters and emergency responders to qualify for related benefits when diagnosed with Parkinson's.

The Wildfire Resilient Communities Act allocates \$30 billion for federal agencies to reduce hazardous fuels on public lands, prioritizing areas near at-risk communities. It also increases funding for the Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program and reauthorizes the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program with expanded project scopes. Finally, the bill establishes a new County Stewardship Fund to provide annual payments to counties based on federal forest product sales.

The Wall Street Tax Act of 2025 establishes a new federal tax on specific financial trading transactions involving securities and derivatives. This transaction tax begins at a rate of 0.02 percent in 2026 and gradually increases to 0.1 percent by 2030. The tax generally applies to trades executed on U.S. exchanges or those involving a U.S. person, excluding initial security offerings.

The Vote at Home Act of 2025 aims to expand access to federal elections by mandating that states mail ballots to all registered voters two weeks before election day and provide free return postage. It also modernizes voter registration by requiring motor vehicle departments to streamline registration forms and automatically register eligible citizens who provide proof of citizenship when obtaining or renewing a driver's license. These provisions are intended to increase voter turnout, reduce in-person lines, and lower administrative costs.

The Social Security Expansion Act aims to increase Social Security benefits, change cost-of-living adjustments to better reflect elderly consumers, and extend eligibility to student children. It also adjusts payroll and self-employment taxes for earnings above $250,000, increases taxes on investment gains, and establishes a new Social Security Trust Fund. These changes are intended to provide greater financial security for beneficiaries and ensure the long-term solvency of the Social Security system.

The POWER Act of 2025 amends the Stafford Act to allow electric utilities to conduct hazard mitigation activities alongside power restoration using federal disaster relief funds. Receiving power restoration assistance does not disqualify a facility from also receiving hazard mitigation assistance, if eligible. This change applies to funds allocated after the Act's enactment, promoting more resilient power infrastructure.